What the heck is an interview challenge activity?
July 11, 2012 10:26 AM Subscribe
My wife has a job interview coming up. She just got the schedule and it is a two-hour interview including a one hour "activity challenge." What can she expect?
The job is as director of a small nonprofit. The only guidance is that she will have 50 minutes to complete the challenge and 10 minutes to present her work to the board.
I have been joking that they are going to giver her a huge box of Popsicle sticks and ask her to construct a tableau from Shakespeare's sonnets. Not helpful, as it turns out. Googling brings up all sorts of nonsense but nothing useful. Anyone?
The job is as director of a small nonprofit. The only guidance is that she will have 50 minutes to complete the challenge and 10 minutes to present her work to the board.
I have been joking that they are going to giver her a huge box of Popsicle sticks and ask her to construct a tableau from Shakespeare's sonnets. Not helpful, as it turns out. Googling brings up all sorts of nonsense but nothing useful. Anyone?
I'd certainly admire the type of pro-active job candidate who contacted me as hiring manager to say "I'd like to be as prepared as possible, so I'd like to ask if there's any additional information about the activity challenge available." Can't hurt if done nicely.
Most likely something like creating a project plan + executive summary, creating a marketing/communication plan, analyzing and summarizing financial statements.
posted by Ausamor at 10:30 AM on July 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
Most likely something like creating a project plan + executive summary, creating a marketing/communication plan, analyzing and summarizing financial statements.
posted by Ausamor at 10:30 AM on July 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
I have interviewed (all volunteer, for volunteers) folks for nonprofit stuff before, and I did something very similar to what Linda_Holmes suggests.
Before the interview, I asked them to come up with 3 ideas for fundraising with some basic plans on how they'd implement them. And then during the interview I'd chose one and play around asking specifics. (Example: where would you hold the event? OK, let's say that space isn't available at a cost we can afford. Come up with a new way to get that space. Etc.)
I didn't give them any time to prepare, though. I imagine if your wife were presented a prompt like this and given an hour, they'd expect something pretty polished.
posted by phunniemee at 10:33 AM on July 11, 2012
Before the interview, I asked them to come up with 3 ideas for fundraising with some basic plans on how they'd implement them. And then during the interview I'd chose one and play around asking specifics. (Example: where would you hold the event? OK, let's say that space isn't available at a cost we can afford. Come up with a new way to get that space. Etc.)
I didn't give them any time to prepare, though. I imagine if your wife were presented a prompt like this and given an hour, they'd expect something pretty polished.
posted by phunniemee at 10:33 AM on July 11, 2012
I've had, and done, those sorts of interviews (in the UK) and think it's likely to be as Linda_Holmes suggests - think of something to about *this*, write a plan, and present it.
In my context (social / health care voluntary sector) it might be fundraising, or it might be a specific service issue.
The type of thing chosen gives a good insight into what the board think their top issue is and what problems they want solved (which is always a useful thing to know).
When I've interviewed people using this thing the technique that impressed me most was the person who had brought index cards and a couple of good quality pens with them. They didn't try and do a powerpoint (others did and in 50 minutes they all looked very corporate), they wrote single words on them in different colors and placed them clearly on the table in front of them as they spoke. It was a good visual aid and clearly well enough done to get the essential points of their presentation across.
posted by Gilgongo at 11:17 AM on July 11, 2012
In my context (social / health care voluntary sector) it might be fundraising, or it might be a specific service issue.
The type of thing chosen gives a good insight into what the board think their top issue is and what problems they want solved (which is always a useful thing to know).
When I've interviewed people using this thing the technique that impressed me most was the person who had brought index cards and a couple of good quality pens with them. They didn't try and do a powerpoint (others did and in 50 minutes they all looked very corporate), they wrote single words on them in different colors and placed them clearly on the table in front of them as they spoke. It was a good visual aid and clearly well enough done to get the essential points of their presentation across.
posted by Gilgongo at 11:17 AM on July 11, 2012
Yep -- come up with a plan of some type--how to engage community partners, how to do a media campaign, etc.
It can be a lot of fun. If she's strategic, she might get a chance to ask what the org's priorities are and then she can use that info for the practical part of the interview.
posted by vitabellosi at 11:33 AM on July 11, 2012
It can be a lot of fun. If she's strategic, she might get a chance to ask what the org's priorities are and then she can use that info for the practical part of the interview.
posted by vitabellosi at 11:33 AM on July 11, 2012
"In tray tasks" are a traditional example of this sort of activity: you find a number of letters or messages waiting for you and you must explain how you will deal with them. As an applicant for an executive job you wife might find a similar challenge about allocating a budget or deciding on new projects. I believe what is being looked for in such cases are the following skills:
1. Absorption of information: can she rapidly and accurately take information - including cases where it is necessary to ask for more information?
2. Prioritisation: can she work out what is important and successfully filter out distractions?
3. Communication: can she clearly express herself in speech and writing?
4. Working to a time limit: can she cope when there is not enough time to finish?
posted by rongorongo at 3:23 AM on July 12, 2012
1. Absorption of information: can she rapidly and accurately take information - including cases where it is necessary to ask for more information?
2. Prioritisation: can she work out what is important and successfully filter out distractions?
3. Communication: can she clearly express herself in speech and writing?
4. Working to a time limit: can she cope when there is not enough time to finish?
posted by rongorongo at 3:23 AM on July 12, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks, friends, I am glad to hear this is not some oddity but a real interviewing technique. She asked for more info and was politely refused. I will report back after the interview.
posted by LarryC at 1:10 PM on July 12, 2012
posted by LarryC at 1:10 PM on July 12, 2012
Response by poster: Report: She was handed a call for grant proposals and given 50 minutes to come up with the basic idea for a proposal and ten minutes to present her idea. She thought it went pretty well.
posted by LarryC at 5:20 PM on July 15, 2012
posted by LarryC at 5:20 PM on July 15, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
Either that, or she has to complete the NYT Saturday crossword.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 10:29 AM on July 11, 2012